


Chainsmoked Until Three

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Cigarettes, Coming Out, Fluff, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Guitarist Keith, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Keith and Lance didn't know each other before, M/M, Pidge is a walking swear bucket, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Kissing, Platonic Romance, Slow Establishment, Smut in the future
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-20 00:59:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9468401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Lance loses his home after he came out to his family and things turned out pretty bad for him. Next morning, he finds himself kicked out with all his belongings. With the last money he has, he gathers a phone cell and attempts to call his elder sister (and only person who would support him) but messes up with the numbers on the dialer and accidentally runs into Keith who offers him to make the call at his place. Because his sister is not able to pick up her phone, Keith offers Lance to stay at his place until he would reach his elder sister.Both first have to get used to each other, and if it's not Lance who suffers from a lot of familiar problems, it is Keith whose life is more messed up than Lance's.





	1. Curtain Call

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, the plot of this fic does not only belong to me but also my good friend Noah (ilu Noah). We have been building a similar story in the past before, but with original characters and stuff. A lot of the story has been taken over and altered, yet I want to keep the fic sort of unique and different. I am really proud yet excited to write this and I hope that you like this too!  
> Also: I am not a native Spanish speaker so I'm sorry if I mess up with the translations for Lance's Spanish (Let's just say he swears a lot in Spanish in this fic).

The nose of the young boy has been turned red from all the cold temperatures, and if it wasn't all the heat and sweat he got from carrying his entire existence packed in cases and bags, he would probably have died from the cold in the outside. However, the whole carrying around would kill him physically anyways– everything was just too heavy.

He looked like a desperate homeless kid who got kicked out from a family's household, and sadly it was the bitter truth. Lance was only nineteen, a college student, now jobless and unable to pay his college fees.  _ Why did he come out as gay to his parents?   _ Why couldn't he wait for a better moment? Because he thought it was the perfect moment to come out. But things turned differently. Instead of getting the blessing, his father decided to kick him out. If it couldn't be worse– his father even kicked him out of his part time job. Lance was working at his father's garage so that he could pay off his college fees, but now after the whole coming out story, he had lost both his home  _ AND _ his job. How would he be able to pay off his college fees when he didn't have a job? How could he go to college if he didn't have a home? Why did he even decide to stay at his family household instead of moving into a dorm? Because he loved his family and they promised him to support him if he'd return the favor. 

Sadly, it didn't turn out very well. He thought his family would accept his sexual orientation but instead they were insulting him in Spanish, getting the worst out of him.  _ Lance didn't deserve this _ . Unfortunately he couldn't travel through time and fix it. It had been done. He didn't have a home now and it sucked so bad. 

When his eyes spotted a phone booth, he'd gotten the good idea that could save him; his big sister Zoe would probably let him crash at her place. She moved out of the house a few years ago to work on her model career and now had a little apartment two towns away. Maybe she would be the right person to ask, and the only hope Lance had. Maybe she would let him stay at her place until he found a new job and got an apartment on his own. It would be a big relief for the college student. Dropping the luggage, he slid his hands into his pockets and hissed at the pain. His hands had become numb and sore from all the cold and carrying around his things. He could feel some coins in his pockets and tried to get them out of there.

" _ Por suerte... _ ", he muttered in Spanish, his mother tongue, when he realized he had enough quarters, dimes and nickels for only one phone call. It was his only hope; his sister was his only hope. Once he entered the phone booth, he rubbed his fingers together, hoping to get them a little warmer before he would dial the numbers. Too bad he could vaguely memorize Zoe's number, but he hoped that he did it right and waited for her to answer the call. His heart was bumping, his hands were shivering and becoming sweaty while he tapped his foot on the floor. Man, she usually didn't need that long to pick up.

But then finally, someone responded the call, but the voice was definitely not Zoe's. It was... lower. Did he just... get the wrong number?

"Hello?"

"U-uhm... Zoe...?", he asked. "Zoe, is that you?"

"No, it's Keith Hwang. Who's there?" Hwang? It sounded so... strange? Korean maybe?

" _ Mierda! _ ", Lance spat, hoping this Keith guy wouldn't hear it. 

"Nice name,  _ Mierda. _ ", Keith commented, trying to mimic the Lance's accent.

This guy... Lance was about to hung up but was it really necessary? He was in a shit situation, and maybe, just  _ maybe _ , this guy could help him. Maybe it was Zoe's boyfriend who'd picked up the phone on her behalf. Besides... Zoe didn't have a boyfriend– last time Lance checked her Facebook profile, she was single.

"No! No no! I wanted to talk to Zoe McClain but–"

"Sorry, I don't know someone called Zoe McClain. You got the wrong number. Try again next time."

He got the wrong number. He  _ knew _ it. What a damn mess did he just run into? Lance tried to be calm, but it was really hard for him, considering his current situation.

"I can't!! I just sacrificed my last bucks for this call and I–"

"Where are you right now?", Keith interrupted the boy.

"Jefferson Avenue... Detroit...", Lance answered after he found a street sign that was placed on the other side of the road.

"That's not far away from my place... Okay, listen. You can crash at my place and call her with my phone. I don't really mind. Do you know the East Jefferson Avenue? There are the Alden Park Towers–..."

Lance's memory wasn't the best but he knew about the place Keith was describing for him. He was glad that it wasn't actually that far away. He knew Detroit by heart, and he was so thankful for this.

"...–I live above a Chinese restaurant. My name tag says Hwang. Just give it a bell, I'll be waiting and open for you."

"Thanks man...", Lance muttered, sighing in relief. 

"No problem", Keith said before he ended the call. 

What was that. Some strange guy was willing to help him? Was it karma? Good luck? Was he dreaming? Whatever it was. He was so  _ so _ grateful. He never had expected someone being so nice to him.

Luckily, Lance knew about Keith's place and he knew the Chinese restaurant Keith had mentioned. After leaving the phone booth, he grabbed his belongings and made his way to the place Keith had described. He hoped that Keith was not some pervert or psychopath, or else he would just run away and prefer to live as a homeless. But this guy seemed to be his last hope.

It took Lance thirty minutes to find the place Keith has been describing. And he was right; he knew the restaurant since he used to eat there. Placing the luggage on the floor again, he looked for Keith's name tag and pressed the bell. A few seconds later, he heard a buzzing noise, meaning that the door was open for him. 

The hallway was clean which he had not expected since he heard that complexes like these were mostly prone to be really dirty and messy.

"You must be  _ Mierda _ ... You could have told me that you got kicked out or somethin'."

Lance looked up and faced someone who was probably his age; a little skinny, black messy hair styled like a mullet but put into a bun, a few ear piercings and a plug on his right ear. He was wearing a grey tank top and sweatpants and...– are those crocs?

"It's Lance", the brunette spat with a frown, "And sorry. The call ended so fast I couldn't–", Lance muttered before he was interrupted by Keith.

"It's okay. As long as your stay is just temporary, I don't mind", Keith said when he walked down the stairs, approaching the brunette. Lance looked at him again, and now that he got a closer look of his face, he noticed that Keith had a tongue piercing. Keith looked like a sleep deprived college student, his eyes having dark circles but aside of those, his face was smooth and clean; there was no acne or anything else. Lance wouldn't admit it in front of him– but that guy was really pretty for Lance's taste. 

"Y-yeah, sorry. Once I reach my sister, I’ll ask her to come over and get my stuff. I don't want to be a pain in the ass for you, you know?"

"You better not", Keith admitted, "I'm a busy man with big business. You can be lucky that I've got nothin' to do right now."

That guy was not only good looking but freaking sassy. Lance wondered about Keith's occupation; a college student? College dropout? High School dropout?

"S-sorry."

"Stop saying  _ sorry _ all the time", Keith said, grabbing two of Lance's bags. "Just get your ass up here. It's getting cold and I'm only wearing a tanktop. Can't afford getting sick right now."

With a nod, Lance grabbed the remaining belongings and followed Keith. His apartment was at the second floor but when Lance arrived at the second floor, he took a look at the elevator. Why would they use the stairs if they had an elevator?

"If you’re wondering why we're not using the elevator; it's out of order. Don't ask why– it's been like this since I moved in here."

"Are you living on your own?", Lance asked.

"Nah, I've got Pop Tart, she's my loyal partner.", Keith replied with a small grin on his face.

Lance quirked his brows in confusion. His pet maybe?

"P-pop Tart?"

"I was drunk when I named the cat, okay? Don't judge me.", Keith replied, rolling his eyes.

"N-no, I'm not...", Lance replied with a snort. "It's actually pretty cute, I mean... we had a dog called Chimichanga."

Keith dropped the luggage when he stopped in front of a door, then looked at Lance. "You just made that up, didn't ya?"

"No! I'm dead serious!", Lance answered with a chuckle. "My little brother named him like that because the dog was his christmas present and... because he likes Chimichangas."

Keith grabbed a lanyard from his sweatpants' pocket, looking for the right key and put it in the hole. Once the door was open, he grabbed the luggage again and and carried it in the hallway just to drop it there again. "Come in. And take your shoes off or– no. Keep them on."

Lance tilted his head in confusion, grabbed the rest of his luggage and entered the apartment. He NEVER expected it to look  _ that bad _ , but the hallway was stuffed with (mostly) empty takeout boxes from fast food restaurants, garbage bags, empty cat food cans, beer bottles and... it smelled like cigarettes. Man, this guy was living a messier life than Lance used to be himself. 

"Sorry for the mess...", Keith muttered, "I rarely have any guests  here and I guess you know why. And I don't really have the time to clean up."

"It's fine...", Lance said, dropping his luggage on an empty spot. He hoped that his things wouldn't get mistaken for trash later because that would be  _ really _ bad.

Lance then took off his jackets. He was wearing, like, three since it was really cold and he really needed to keep himself warm. He looked for a spot to place the jackets, so he just dropped them on one of his bags he'd carried. Then he could hear a soft tune from another room. The radio was on and the current song was some soft rock– a song he never had heard before. It matched with the atmosphere of this apartment.

"Make yourself comfortable. Do you want a drink?", Keith inquired, looking at the boy.

"Uh...–", Lance looked at him with confusion.

"Coffee?"

"Sure."

"I just don't have milk, though. And if I had it would be dairy-free."

"Lactose intolerant?", Lance asked out of curiosity.

"Yup."

"Must be hard, huh. Nah, I prefer black coffee anyway.", Lance stated, entering the living room while Keith headed to the kitchen.

The living room was messy but not as messy as the hallway. The smoke of cigarettes was in the air, like Keith had been smoking right before Lance's arrival. He didn't mind it much though, despite having a spite against smokers. The couch looked very worn out– like it had dealt with a lot– and was probably just a piece of furniture found at a dumpster. On the couch were three pillows and a red colored blanket. A cat was resting on the blanket– a short-haired ginger tabby. Lance's lips turned into a smile at the sight. The cat didn't seem to mind the mess– but was it really good to have a cat live under these circumstances? It was dirty and messy, plus Keith was a smoker– cats could get sick very easily. He could have protested, but that was Keith's lifestyle after all and Lance was only a guest. He didn't want to be a bother and wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

Lance couldn't take his eyes off the cat. Pop Tart didn't look like she was starving or overweight but was apparently well fed. There was no sight of any illness like cat flu or similar. The cat was breathing like a healthy cat would, her purring was quiet and yet audible. 

"Take a sit but don't sit on Pop Tart", Keith said, standing behind of Lance who was still looking at the cat. Lance turned around and saw Keith holding a mug. "It's hot so take it by the handle.", the black haired said before he placed the mug on the table.

The table looked it was just cleaned– the ashtray on the table was empty, an open pack of Lucky Strikes was resting next to and the coffee on the table smelled really bitter.

Lance took a seat next to the cat that began to move. The brunette was scared that he woke her up but sighed in relief when he realized that she just shifted a little. Keith sat down next to him, moving away a few inches from the guest. While sitting on the couch he could feel how worn out the couch was. It really looked (and felt) like it had an entire life story. Keith's scent was making Lance uncomfortable.  _ Cigarettes. _ Lance  _ hated _ the scent of cigarettes coming from people, but he could try to ignore it by now.

When Lance grabbed the cup to take a sip, he tried so hard not to squint. The coffee was  _ bitter _ ; maybe a few spoonfuls of sugar would have made it agreeable for him but he was now sure that he'd ask for it to be sweeter if he ever got to drink coffee at Keith's again. After a few sips, he placed the mug on the table and leaned back against the couch.

Lance looked around at the living room, now that he was sitting. Again, he could find a few garbage bags scattered and placed against the wall, a chest of drawers that had an old TV on top. The TV was connected to a PlayStation 3, and two wireless controllers were resting on top of it. The TV was turned off; the console however, was set on standby. He could tell that the closed doors could be Keith's bedroom and the bathroom, and only the kitchen door was open but granting him little to no view into it. The hallway didn't have a door to separate it from the living room. The walls were painted in a light yellow and were intact. There were no posters or pictures, which made the walls look pretty empty. 

Lance's trance was interrupted by a gentle poke and a simple "Hey."

The brunette looked at Keith who was holding a cellphone in front of him. "Hope you don't mess up the number again", Keith said with a small grin.

Lance took the phone, now finally dialed the correct number (because he finally realized the error he had made before) and placed the phone against his ear.

_ Toot. Toot. Toot. _

Lance was biting his bottom lip that was slowly drawing blood. Why wasn't she picking up the phone? 

_ Toot. Toot.  _ **Click.**

"Name's Zoe McClain and this is her voicemail! I'm currently overseas and thus not available for any calls! I don't know when I'll be back and I apologize in advance! Please leave a message after the signal!"

_ Yikes.  _

Releasing a heavy sigh, Lance cancelled the call, handing the phone back to its rightful user. He fucked up. He fucked up so bad.

"Voicemail?", Keith asked with a frown. Lance didn't nod but the answer was obvious. His hands were shivering despite them not being cold anymore. They were clenched in fists, his fingernails  leaving marks on his skin. What now? What would he do now? He knew that Keith couldn't let him live here– and who knows what kind of person Keith actually was?

"Hey, man. I'm sorry."

Lance shook his head, not saying a word. His body was shivering, his breaths were heavy. Was he trying to fight his tears?

"Look. You can crash here until you can reach your sister, okay?"

Lance finally looked up. "No! I mean... I don't want to bother you or anything, and besides... you don't even know me! I could be your worst nightmare or something, and I don't want any trouble with the landlord–"

"Lance. It's fine!", Keith said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'd be a total dick if I kicked you out right now in this kind of situation, and I am, in fact, not a dick. Okay? And don't worry about the landlady. She's really nice and I think she would tolerate your situation."

"Okay, but if I managed to live any longer here, I'll be looking for a job! Also I'm a college student and my courses are, like... really important!", Lance exclaimed. He couldn't believe it. This guy, a stranger, offered him to stay at his place until he was to reach his sister. He didn't know how to feel about this. Keith was like an angel; not only a good looking one with a snarky tongue, but he just literally saved Lance's life.

"Don't worry about that, Lance. Leave the apartment whenever you think it's important. I can give you the spare keys so that you can actually exit and enter this place whenever you like. And as long as you can't reach your sister,  _ mi casa es su casa _ . Okay?"

Lance had to snort at the Spanish remark and Keith's awful accent, but he was really grateful.

"Thanks man... This... this really means a lot, okay?"

"No problem. You can sleep in my bed– I won't let you sleep on the couch. And I'm really honest– the bed is the best bed you would ever sleep on."

Lance widened his eyes. That was just too much of Keith's kindness. 

"No– no way! That's– I can't accept  _ that _ ! I'll take the couch!"

"You really want to sleep on the couch? You don't want to. Everything that happens on this couch stays there. And trust me– it is not really your business what happened with  _ and _ on this couch."

Lance frowned but surrendered. Maybe it was better that he didn’t have to know the story about the couch.

"Anyways. I am hungry and it's getting late. Whatcha want to eat?", Keith then suddenly asked.

"I don't have any money, Keith", the brunette commented with a frown.

"My treat. You don't need to pay it back, okay?"

Heaving a sigh, Lance agreed with a nod. "Okay, fine."

"Do you drink alcohol?"

Lance shook his head. "I think I'll wait until I'm legal, unlike you."

Keith chuckled at Lance's remark; that kid was really cute. He didn't know that Lance had a sassy side. "How old do you think I am?", he asked. 

"Dunno... Twenty? Twenty-one?", Lance tried to guess, tilting his head.

"Yes, twenty. You must be my age, right?"

"I'm nineteen but my birthday is in two months."

"So, you're still a baby. Just kidding, I turned twenty about three weeks ago so we're the same birth year."

Keith then got up from the couch and turned around to face Lance, who was still sitting there. "Now how 'bout it: Food. Yes? No? If you want a drink let me know. It can be a soda, too."

Lance looked up at him, frowning while he was thinking. "Hm... what kind of food?”

"Kid, we're living above a Chinese restaurant. Though I can say... I'd suggest the fried chicken with rice there."

"Fine", Lance said with a crooked smile on his lips. "Gimme that. And I want a soda. Any kind of soda."

"Alright then. Take care of the apartment, feel free to look around if you want to know the rest. It may take a while until food's done so you can take a shower too. I'll be right back."

Keith headed to another room (which could be his bedroom) and left it, wearing a zipped hoodie; he didn't close the door of the room, but let it open. He grabbed the keys which he had placed on the table and put them in his sweatpants’ pocket before he left the apartment.

This could be the opportunity for Lance to get to know this place, but instead he leaned back, heaving a sigh. He had to process what had just happened. He got kicked out from his family. He had nowhere to go. He tried to call his sister but messed up the number. He ran into some guy named Keith. And now he would be staying at Keith's place for a while, or at least until he could reach his sister. It was just too much for him right now, too much that it was hard for him to deal with it. He got back into reality when he heard a muffled meow from his side– Pop Tart was awake, watching Lance. Her ears twitched as she placed a paw on Lance's leg. 

"Why hello there, Pop Tart..." he said with a grin on his lips. 

Pop Tarts was still looking at him before she nuzzled her head against Lance's leg. He just snickered at her before he moved his hand and gently caressed her back. She seemed to enjoy it, because she started to purr right after Lance touched her.

"Oh man, aren't you cute...", he muttered before he removed his hand and got up.

Keith offered him to take shower, which wasn't a bad idea after all. He was all sweaty because he carried, like, sixty pounds of luggage at once– he walked around Detroit just to find Keith's place. It was disgusting and he smelled really bad, so a shower would make it better, wouldn't it?

"Time to get a shower.", he said to himself, reaching for one of his bags and looking for fresh clothes and underwear. Lance then entered the bathroom and could see that the it was small, but tidy. It had everything a bathroom would need; a shower, a sink, a toilet, a drawer...– the only thing that was missing was a washing machine. Maybe it was in a different room. He hoped that Keith didn't mind if he used his soap and shampoo for this occasion, but when he saw the endless bottles of soap and shampoo, he was sure that Keith definitely wouldn't mind.

Lance closed the bathroom door and got rid of his clothes. It was a relief that he was not wearing the sweaty clothes anymore. He hung his fresh clothes and tossed his sweaty ones in a laundry basket. Then he looked if Keith had any towels and was lucky he found one. Keith's bathroom was well organized unlike the other rooms.

"YIKES!", he yelled as he suddenly got hit by a shot of cold water on his back. He tried to play around with the faucet, until he'd found the perfect temperature. Despite being fast in the shower, the cold water came back after five minutes, and there was no chance on playing with the faucet anymore. Keith really needed to fix that in the future– cold showers were the worst, especially for Lance.

 

\--------------------------------

 

"Whatcha majoring in?", Keith inquired before he shoved a piece of chicken in his mouth.

Keith had returned not too long after Lance had finished his shower. Of course Keith'd laughed at him when Lance mentioned the cold water. 'Ah, I was meaning to get it fixed any soon but I forgot', was Keith's excuse.

"Uh... art...", Lance muttered, taking a sip from his 7up. "How 'bout you?"

"Me?", Keith snorted, "Oh... I was majoring in music before I dropped out to start my musician career."

"You're a musician?", Lance inquired.

"Yeah. I'm the guitarist of a band called 'The Paladins'. Including me, there's three other members: Shiro, Hunk and Pidge. You may or may not get to know them if you like. They're, like, my second family." he grinned, taking a sip from his Dr. Pepper. He would have gone with beer instead but after Lance's remark, he refused it for once. Besides, he hadn't had drunk Dr. Pepper for a while, considering it was his favorite soda brand.

" _ The Paladins _ ?", Lance snorted, "Cool name."

"Hunk came up with that. We thought it was nice so we kept it."

It has been a while since Lance had eaten something so good. He placed the empty box on the table, watching Pop Tart looking at it before she jumped on Lance's lap, nuzzling against him.

"Awwww, she likes me...", he said with a grin on his face.

"She gets used to people easily, yeah,", Keith stated, placing his empty box on the table as well. "Someone abandoned this poor girl so I decided to take care of her. First she didn't like me, and used my arms as her cat tree or biting toy. But then she realized that I am not her toy but her master and stopped it immediately. I had to sterilize her once the time had come. And whenever she got sick, I would first go to the veterinary to check on her."

That's why Pop Tart looked so healthy– Keith was really taking care of his cat.

"Yeah, but you sure know that smoking with your cat around is not healthy for her, right?", Lance said with a frown.

"I only smoke when she's not around. I usually open the windows whenever I smoke. Pop Tart either goes to the balcony or another room."

Lance had his doubts at the answer but brushed it off. Keith seemed a little sensitive about this topic and it wouldn't be a good idea to mention it every now and then.

"And... do you earn money with being a musician?", the brunette asked.

"Yup. I get paid for playing a few gigs in the underground. It keeps me alive", he smiled.

"And I thought that all musicians lived in mansions or something...", Lance said.

Keith couldn't resist and started to laugh. "Really? Oh my god...!!"

Lance frowned. "Hey! What's wrong? I was right, wasn't I!?"

"Yeah, of course...", Keith said after he calmed down, "but we're not in a big label, you know? We don't get  _ that _ much to be able to afford a mansion or something. Besides, not  _ every  _ musician lives in a damn mansion. Only those who sold their soul to the Illuminati and are part of big ass labels."

"Oh my...", Lance began to chuckle. "Glad we can agree with the Illuminati part."

"Anyways..", Keith started, "you know Spanish– basic school subject?"

"Mh?", Lance looked at him, quirking his brows. Right– Lance cursed in Spanish, but he didn't expect Keith picking it up. "Uh... no. I'm actually from Cuba. My mom is a native there and my dad lived there for a few years. We, uh... moved to Detroit when I was, like... three years old or so..."

"Cute...", Keith commented.

"How about you, Keith? If I... may ask."

"I'm Korean. But... let's be honest. My backstory isn't anything but interesting. Also, don't you have courses tomorrow? Kids should be in bed."

Lance couldn't do anything but huff at Keith's comment. He was right, it was late, but was it important to put it like that?

"I’m the same age as you…” he scowled. “But yeah…”, he breathed out, “you’re right.”

"My bedroom. Just make yourself comfortable. Please leave the door open, Pop Tart tends to come in and cuddle", Keith said and got up from the couch. "I'll make sure to get you a mattress or something."

"Thanks I guess?"

Keith was kind; he may be sassy but he was really nice and Lance couldn't thank him enough. This guy literally saved his life. He was a mere stranger, but maybe they could become friends. It would be just a matter of time.


	2. Cardiac Arrest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance meets Hunk, the drummer of the Paladins, and decides to surprise Keith with something nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was like 'Hunk, what am I going to do with you?'. Now I know.  
> YES, the summary is gay but it's not what you think it is, I swear to kami-sama, the one and only.  
> Also: Pidge being a walking swear bucket was slightly inspired by [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba6CiNkITVQ).

Lance could have turned the radio on.

Now that he thought about it, he would prepare his coffee with a good tune in his ears. Keith was apparently taking a shower since the brunette saw the bathroom door being locked and he could hear the water from the shower. Keith had permitted Lance to use the kitchen if he wanted to make himself some coffee before he headed to the college. Lance was really grateful for Keith's hospitality and he knew that he had to return Keith's favor one day. 

The brunette wasn't expecting a clean kitchen— but he was fooled by his prejudices against Keith. The kitchen was clean and the only dirty thing was a mug in the sink; the mug Lance had been drinking from the other day. The kitchen was a small room but it had enough space for a counter, a small fridge, a sink, a microwave, a hot plate, a water boiler, a wall cupboard hanging above the sink and two feeding dishes under the counter. The counter was only a large plank fixed on the wall. One feeding dish was filled with water, the other one was empty but had little stains of cat food in it.

Lance's fingers were tapping against the counter, waiting for the water to be boiled. The boiler sure took long, yet Lance knew that he had a lot of time. The campus was not too far away, now that he was crashing at Keith's place. Usually he would wake up at 5:30 AM to get ready, now he could wake up at 6:30 AM. It was an amazing feeling, knowing that he could sleep a little longer.

He luckily had found some sugar which he could use to sweeten his coffee. He didn't want to go through the day with such  bitterness on his tongue (not that he minded though— his current life situation was already bitter for him).

Lance was focused on the water being finally boiled that he didn't even notice that Keith was standing at the door. However, a yawn from the black-haired man just interrupted his trance and made Lance look at the door.

"Mornin’...", Keith muttered sleepily.

"Morning, Keith. You're already awake? I thought you didn't go to college", Lance said, "I could make you coffee too if you like", he added, ‘taking a look at the male. Keith's hair was messy— the bun was almost loose, his dark circles had remained but became worse. Keith's hand was under under his tanktop, scratching his belly. He looked like he'd fall asleep on the spot.

"Nah... I have practice today... and I pass for the coffee— there's no dairy-free milk and I'd rather drink my coffee with that.", he muttered.

But then, a frown displayed on Lance's features. If Keith was standing around, who was—

"Keith...", he began, his voice being concerned. "Someone's... in the bathroom. And it definitely can't be you because... you're standing in front of me..."

"Since when are you awake?", Keith inquired.

"Since... ten minutes ago,", Lance replied, "And I thought that you were in the bathroom taking a shower. I didn’t face the couch when I entered the kitchen so I couldn't know if you were sleeping but...—", Lance gulped and in that moment, someone opened the bathroom door.

Lance dared himself a peek out of the kitchen, and he could see a half naked man, a bath towel wrapped around his hips that went to his knees. The man was tanned, had dark brown hair and a chubby stature.

"Good mornin', Keith! Didn't expect ya to be awake already!", the man spoke.

So he knew Keith, but why was he taking a shower at his place? What happened last night after Lance went to sleep at Keith's room? Did Keith really— ??

"Morning, Hunk. You're already here? I didn’t hear you when you entered.", Keith said, his lips displaying a crooked but sleepy smile.

"I'd seen you sleeping on the couch, so—", then finally, Hunk finally realized that someone was watching him and turned around.

"Who's that guy? Your boyfriend? One night stand?", Hunk grinned at him. He was way taller than Lance and Keith himself.

"That's Lance. He's my... temporary roommate,", Keith answered, "Kid got kicked out and accidentally called me instead of his sister. So I decided to keep him until his sister comes back from an oversea trip."

With a frown, Hunk looked at Lance again. Hunk and Keith had known each other for several years now, actually since they were both in college. They were good friends since then, both used take some classes together before they decided to drop college and become band members.

Hunk's skeptical expression turned into a smile, stretching out his arm. "Nice to meet ya! I'm Hunk! I'm the drummer of the coolest band of the world: The Paladins!"

Lance chuckled but stretched out his arm as well, so that he'd actually grab his hand to shake it. "Nice to meet you, Hunk."

"Hunk lives in a garage. He's using my shower and in return we can practice at his place.", Keith stated.

"You... live in a garage?", Lance asked with a frown.

"Yup! It's the best place to spend your life at! I just don't have a shower so I have to come here for that."

Lance was asking himself if that was really a good idea. Maybe one day he would ask Hunk to take a peek of his garage.

"That's a nice exchange, now that you mention it.", Lance said.

"Yeah. I can't shower in college anymore since I'm no longer in there. Once Keith dropped out, I followed him."

Lance nodded. So it seemed like the Paladins had dropped out of either college or High School.

"College doesn't seem to be your thing, am I right?", Lance inquired with a foolish smile.

"We can't make music if college's on the way,", Hunk stated with a shrug, "Anyways, I need to get dressed." Hunk headed to the bathroom and locked the door again in the process.

Keith chuckled and looked back at Lance, who was still trying to process what just had happened. "You okay, kid?", he asked.

"What?", Lance blinked before he looked at Keith. "Yeah... I'm okay."

"Sorry, man. I should've warned you about Hunk. But sometimes I don't even know when he's coming or not."

"So, he has a key to come in?"

"Yup. Otherwise he wouldn't have gotten in the apartment while I was asleep, you know? Or how'd you expect him to enter my house?"

Keith had a point.

"Dunno..." Lance muttered and went to the kitchen when he realized that the boiler had done its job.

"I'll come back around the evening. Do you need a key to get in? I don't know how many courses you have today."

"Not too many", Lance replied, "I might be done around noon."

"Good. I have a spare key under my doormat."

A key under a  _ doormat _ . How is this guy going to survive? It was the silliest trick ever and very dangerous as well.

"Okay, but I need to get into the staircase."

"Ask the people of the Chinese restaurant. Tell them that you are crashing at my place and you don't have the key. They'll kindly open the door for you."

"Keith, one question."

"Shoot."

"How are you going to survive? Aren't you afraid of groupies if this is way too easy?", Lance inquired with a frown.

"What groupies?", Hunk said after he left the bathroom, finally wearing clothes. "Kiddo, we aren't  _ that  _ popular. We sure have female fans but I doubt that someone would actually run after Keith."

"They know I'm not into girls.", Keith stated.

Lance looked at Keith, widening his eyes.

"Wait... you're... you're  _ gay _ ?", Lance said.

"Yeah. It's not even a secret. What did you expect? That I'm a lady killer?", Keith chuckled.

"Our lead singer Shiro is the lady killer. He's actually bisexual but—"

"I think that's enough, Hunk,", Keith interrupted, "I guess Lance is going to meet the rest of the band sooner or later."

"Sorry!", Hunk said with a laugh before his gaze was fixed on Pop Tart nuzzling against his legs. "Hello there, my sweet baby!", Hunk said, kneeling down to caress Pop Tart's head.

"I'm going to take a shower now. Lance? Have fun with your courses and good luck."

Lance nodded, his lips curling into a crooked smile. "Thanks, man!"

Lance headed to the hallway, grabbed one of his jackets and looked for his college bag in one of his other bags.

"See ya, Keith!", he shouted before he opened the door and left the apartment.

Once he was out, he noticed that there was something in his pocket and dug it out— it was a five dollar bill. A frown appeared upon his features; he didn't have any money in his pants before, unless it was Keith who put it in his pocket last night when he'd been asleep.

_ Incredible. _

But Lance couldn't accept it— he didn't need money from some stranger who'd let him live at his place. Why was Keith doing this in general? They didn't know each other, and it felt like Lance had done something that satisfied Keith in any manner.

\----------------------------------------------

Keith and Hunk arrived at the garage and saw that Shiro and Pidge were already waiting at them.

"Took you some time,", Pidge commented, "did you stop by a Starbucks or something?"

"We're in time, Pidge!", Hunk huffed in distress, "we actually wanted to stop by a Starbucks but we didn't know what you would like—"

"Aaaaaand you didn't get us anything?", Pidge interrupted, quirking their brows.

Pidge was the smallest member of the band, messy styled, light brown hair, brown eyes and large glasses on their nose. They were mostly known for their snarky attitude and received the name 'Walking Swear Bucket' and 'baby' of the Paladins. They were not only the smallest but also the youngest of the team, being eighteen years old. Pidge was a college freshman who still hadn't dropped out, unlike the rest of the members of the band. They were studying astronomy; band business was their hobby but they wouldn't hesitate skipping classes if it was for band practice. They knew where to get the stuff from the courses and would study them after practice anyway.

"Because we didn't know what to get for you and Starbucks was way too crowded."

"I would have kicked your asses if you got Starbucks and didn't get anything for Shiro and me."

"Now now...", Shiro said, ruffling their hair, "I wouldn't have wanted any Starbucks anyway, so it's fine."

"Damn it, Shiro, you could've played along", Pidge rolled their eyes, "now open the fuck up, I'm freezing my ass out here."

Hunk went to open the garage, then looked at Pidge. "Man, if I got a dime for every time you swear, I'd be rich now...", Hunk muttered.

"You'd better share the cash, because I'd have fucking contributed by making you rich."

"You can be glad that Allura is not here with Cassie", Shiro said.

"Where's she at anyway?", Pidge inquired.

"Cassie got a fever so she rushed to the doctor with her", Shiro answered, "I wanted to accompany her but she told me to go to practice instead."

"Oh man, that sucks...", Pidge grimaced, "I wish the best for Cassie."

"Well, we can't practice without our lead singer anyway, and I think Allura is a great mom.", Keith stated, entering the garage.

"She really is,", Shiro said, "And Cassie is such a cutie. You should take care of her again, Keith. She likes you."

Keith turned on the electric heater and looked at Shiro. "Yeah,", he muttered, "One day maybe."

"Hey, Disney prince,", Pidge started, "You gonna give us Starbucks after practice?"

Keith rolled his eyes. "You and your Starbucks. Ask Shiro, he's the band dad after all."

Shiro snorted. "Wow, thanks. Okay, fine. Starbucks on me this time."

"FUCK YES!", Pidge shouted.

The garage was probably as huge as Keith's living room. Aside from the instruments, it had an electric heater, a sofabed, a small table, a fridge, a shelf with clothes on it, a drawer with a microwave and another table with a hot plate. It was basically a very small flat without a second room and a shower. There was a laptop on the small table, a full bottle of Mountain Dew and a Pringles roll. The walls were decorated with some posters of other bands such as Rise Against or Linkin Park.

"Anyways", Shiro started, "I got a text from Coran, our manager, this morning. There's a contest in two weeks and they're paying us two grands if we win first place."

"Hoooold the fuck on, Shiro,", Pidge said, "Two grands? Two thousand bucks? That's not a joke, right?"

"I'm dead serious, Pidge.", Shiro answered with a snort.

"Two weeks? Man, we sure must practice a lot then.", Hunk huffed.

"Alright, we can do this, guys.", Shiro said with a smile.

"When you said that the last time we had a contest coming, we got the last place, Shiro.  _ Last place. _ ", Pidge muttered.

"Yeah but...", Shiro's gaze quickly stopped at Keith, then he looked back at Pidge, "that's another story. Now listen; if you want to win this, we  _ must _ do our best. And we are already doing great! Our Facebook Page has already a couple thousand fans, our EP at bandcamp has been sold well— it's time that we frickin' do this and get a record deal!"

"Did you just say...  _ frick, _ Shiro?", Pidge inquired.

"Shiro is losing his ability to swear...", Keith muttered with a snort, "must be Allura, right? You can't swear anymore."

"I'm helping Allura raise a toddler and we don't want her getting bad words in her mouth, okay? She's our little princess and princesses don't swear."

"Oh my  _ fucking _ god, Shiro. You are suffering from the Dad Syndrome. You sound like you and Allura are married.", Pidge said, their expression shocked.

" _ Listen— _ "

"It's fine, Shiro. We love you anyway.", Keith said and started to giggle.

"I fuckin' hate you guys..."

"Didn't you mean  _ frick _ , Shiro? Swearing is not good for the baby."

"Whatever!", Shiro shouted, sounding a bit distressed. "We have practice to do, there's a contest in two weeks."

"What song?", Keith asked.

"A song we still need some practice on, obviously. I want to master it."

" _ Cardiac Arrest _ ? Are you  _ fucking _ serious?", Pidge asked with a frown.

"Pidge's right, we still can't master this song and that's why we lost our last contest.", Hunk stated.

"And from what I've heard on Facebook, they were not happy with the lead singer. The voice didn't fit.", Pidge said.

"Hm...", Shiro frowned, "What are you expecting?"

"I want Keith to sing the lead and Shiro should do background singing.", Pidge proposed.

"Wait, what?", Keith looked at Pidge, his face displaying a surprising expression.

"We need a  _ youthful _ voice that fits well. And I haven't heard you singing in a while, Keith."

"Yeah! Do it for the band, man!", Hunk said with a grin.

Keith heaved a huge sigh while his gaze was fixed at Shiro. Sure, Keith hadn't had sung in a while, but he didn't really want to sing for the band. Especially  _ this _ song; the song that had been written by Keith but for Shiro, and claimed by Shiro. He didn't want to ruin it. Keith had a good singing voice and only people who were part of the band knew this. But was it really  _ fair _ for Shiro?

Shiro was looking back at the guitarist before he looked away, having a sigh. "Fine. Keith's the lead. Feel free to alter the lyrics."

"But Shiro—"

"Keith, I want to master this song;  _ we _ want to master this song. It's  _ fine _ ."

_ No, it's not, _ Keith thought, grabbed his guitar and looked at his members, waiting for them to be ready.

Pidge then started the lead melody, followed Hunk's drums, Shiro's bass and then Keith's guitar. Keith was death nervous— would he make it and not ruin the song? He didn't know it himself, yet he tried his best.

" _ I’ve been tryin’ to keep my grip, yeah, I think I’m over this. I can hear it now, oh no, oh no-o. _ "

_ Shit. _ Did he even hit the notes? He couldn’t look at Shiro right now, he had to focus on the song.

" _ Yeah, my tongue will let it slip, why’d I do those things I did. I can taste it now, oh no, oh no-o. _ "

" _ I’ll try my best, how much do I invest? Like cardiac arrest, high voltage in his lips. _ "

Keith was sure he was doing something wrong, but nobody was willing to make them stop playing. Did they do it well?

" _ I’ll try my best, how much do I invest? Like cardiac arrest, high voltage when we kiss. _ "

\----------------------------------------------

Keith was not wrong when he said that the staff from the Chinese restaurant would open the front door for Lance.

The courses had ended sooner than expected and Lance didn't want to spend the rest of the day at the library. His phone was broken so he wasn’t able to play any mobile games. It was a sad life, but he knew that now he had a home, even though it was only temporary.

When he arrived at the second floor of the complex, he lifted the doormat and found the door key Keith had mentioned in the morning. A frown displayed upon the brunette's features as he still couldn't believe that this kid was hiding a spare key under a doormat.

Once he opened the door, he could hear a mewling sound. Looks like someone was waiting for either Keith or Lance to come in. Lance took off his jacket and placed his bag down before he headed to the living room with a grin. Pop Tart was sitting there, looking up at the teen.

"Hello there, cutie...", Lance said with a grin, "Did you wait for someone to give you food? Hm? Are you hungry, Missy?"

Lance wasn't sure if Keith already gave her some food, but the note on the living room table seemed to answer his question.

Keith's handwriting was messy yet readable— for Lance at least.

" _ Lance, _

_ once you're home, make sure Pop Tart is getting her food. _

_ You can find the cat food under the counter in the kitchen. _

_ Also please give the cat toilet at the balcony a check and clean it if necessary. _

_ Thank you very much. _

_ xoxo Keith _

_ P.S: Before you ask: Yes, I put five bucks in your pockets. I don't want you to starve during college. You're welcome. _ "

_ Incredible. _

_ This guy. _ This fucking guy could be the death of Lance. Not that he minded taking care of the cat, but it was rather the fact that Keith admitted that it was him who put five bucks in his pocket.

With a sigh, he headed to the kitchen and looked for the cat food. The space underneath the counter was filled with a few cans of cat food. It wasn't even Dollar Tree cat food (thank goodness) but somewhat expensive cat food. Keith must love his cat very much. Shaking his head, Lance grabbed a can and opened it. Pop Tart rushed into the kitchen and nuzzled against Lance's legs, knowing that she'd be getting food soon. He then put the food in the proper food dish and watched when the cat approached it and started eating.

Lance then left the kitchen and looked around, heaving a sigh. The apartment looked horrendous with the many trash bags lying around. How would Keith feel if Lance actually cleaned this up? It probably would be a good idea, for the cat, for himself, and even for Keith. He knew that he wasn’t really the cleaning type of person, but Lance was staying here and he could do Keith a favor.

The brunette looked for cleaning supplies and found them at the balcony. He never had been at the balcony before— it would be small and cozy if it wasn’t filled with cleaning supplies and a cat toilet. Lance grabbed the necessary supplies and looked for soap which he could find at the bathroom. Pop Tart, who had finished her meal, was now resting on the couch, making Lance's lips curl into a smile when he saw her.

\----------------------------------------------

" _ My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, _ "

"Lance?"

" _ And they're like, It’s better than yours, _ "

The lack of garbage bags was a little surprising, but the song that was playing on the radio was utterly irritating.

" _ Damn right it’s better than yours, _ "

"It looks so clean here...", Hunk commented, placing the mattress on the floor.

" _ I could teach you but I have to charge. _ "

"Anyways, what horrible music taste...", Hunk scrunched his nose and entered the living room.

The living room was neat, and there were no garbage bags anymore. It was cleaned up; it didn't smell like cigarettes anymore and it really had a nice atmosphere.

Lance then turned off the radio and turned around, seeing both Hunk and Keith standing in awe at the current view.

"Uh, welcome home...?", Lance said with a smile.

"Did you just—"

"Yes, Keith. Sorry, I could have asked you before but I can explain, okay?"

"No, it's just...", he snickered, "I've been meaning to clean this hole for a while. But... you didn't have to?"

"Listen,", Lance started, "it's fine. You're fine. Everything's fine. I'm not a cleaning person, I am honest, but listen—"

"Just get to the point already.", Keith rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Pop Tart could open the garbage bags and look for food; she could eat something rotten or moldy and get super sick. She probably hasn't done that before, but it's a matter of time. I am trying to do you a favor. You got me five bucks for lunch, which wasn't necessary."

"I am hostile, okay? And I didn't want you to starve through the day but...", Keith heaved a sigh, "that doesn't mean that you need to clean my place. Like.. I'm really grateful for this but I also feel bad?"

"You don't have to feel bad, Keith!", he smiled. "You were so nice and let me live here until I can contact my sister, I wanted to do something nice for you, okay?"

Keith didn't know how to deal with this. He had been neglecting house care for weeks now; he left the apartment and came back home if it was only for food but he never got into cleaning up his place for the meantime. And Lance was right. If the house was cleaner, Pop Tart would feel way better.

"I uh... also cleaned up your bedroom,", Lance said, "but don't worry! I didn't touch your private stuff! I found the washing machine in the basement and I made some laundry as well."

"But the washing machine is broken...", Keith frowned.

"It’s not, actually. I fixed it.", Lance stated with a smile.

Hunk had to chuckle. Both were acting like an actual couple to him and it was funny to watch them. "Well, you two spouses. I'm outta here. See ya!", Hunk turned around and left the apartment, letting both Keith and Lance standing in awe.

Keith shook his head and looked back at Lance. "Anyways, I got a mattress for you. I don't think I'd survive another night on the couch."

"You didn't have to!", Lance protested, "anyways, where are you going to place this mattress?"

"In my bedroom. You cleaned it, right? So I think there's enough space for a second mattress. Also I still have some EUR-pallets in my basement, so you don't really need to sleep directly on the floor."

Lance wanted to protest but was it really necessary? He knew that he couldn’t do anything against Keith. He could be thankful for him, it was just hard for him to show it. Heaving a sigh, he looked at Keith and swallowed. "T-thanks man... I just... I don't think that I can stay any longer. Once I contact my sister, I'm out of here."

"Whatever", Keith muttered, "as long as you stay here, I want you to make yourself at home. Now let's get the EUR-pallets from the basement and make your bed, okay?"

Lance's lips curl into a little smile. Despite everything, Keith was still so nice, it kind of hurt his heart but warmed it at the same time.

Once Keith entered his bedroom, he did not hesitate calling Lance's name.

"Uhm... Lance...?"

"Yes?", Lance replied, entering the bedroom.

"Where...", he lifted up a black T-shirt with three white printed space invader figures, "how did you... find  _ this _ ? It’s my favorite shirt."

"Oh...", Lance snorted. "In the fridge."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you ask: Yes. it's [Bad Suns' Cardiac Arrest](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZvFGEE26vE). And yes, I had to alter the lyrics a tiny bit. There's a good reason I choose this song but it won't be disclosed any sooner. This song will have a major role later in the fic.


	3. Lone Digger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance needs a job, so Keith offers him a job at _Kerberos_ , a coffee shop run by Pidge and their older brother Matt. However, Pidge does not hesitate insulting Lance and being rude until Shiro meets Lance and shows him to put more effort on his job if he wants to have the job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually don't take so long for my chapters. I could have finished it earlier if it wasn't my real life problems so I apologize beforehand. Several passages have been edited, removed and added, plus I forgot to describe Shiro in chapter two, so I just put it here (whoopsie). Chapter four is in the working by the way, so stay tuned!

A week had been passed since Lance had crashed at Keith's place.

Lance had been trying to contact his sister every now and then but it was hopeless. It was like Zoe was having a hard time overseas and he didn't want to bother her anymore. Keith told him that he wouldn't mind having Lance around for any longer though, much to Lance's dismay, which is why the brunette started to go look for a job.

Keith was in the kitchen, making some pancakes and bacon for breakfast while Lance was caressing Pop Tart's back who was resting on his lap. It was, more or less, a daily event since Lance was afraid he’d burn something (since he couldn't cook at all). In return, Lance'd feed Pop Tart whenever he returned from college.   


"There's probably someone who could give you a job but I have to talk to Pidge if they are fine with that." Keith shouted from the kitchen.

"Oh?" Lance shifted his head, his sight being directed to the kitchen.

"Pidge has an older brother who owns an old school styled coffee shop called  _ Kerberos _ . Allura used to work there as a waitress but she had to quit because of her daughter, so it's hard for him to keep up with the work."

"Oh my god, I'm bad with that shit. I don't even know if I'm able to carry a tray without dropping it." he muttered with a frown.

"How many applications did you send last week?"

"About ten."

"How many people declined your application?"

"About ten..." Lance muttered again, heaving a sigh and leaning back on the couch.

"See where this is going? And do not worry about carrying a tray," Keith said with a smile as he grabbed two plates and put the pancakes on them. After grabbing the cutlery, he headed back to the living room. "I can help you with that. I used to work there when I was trying to get money for college."

"Sure..." when Lance tried to shift, Pop Tart woke up and stretched before she got off Lance's lap so that he could sit close to the table. 

Keith placed the two plates on the table and sat next to Lance, handing him a fork. "Enjoy your breakfast."

"Thanks..." Lance muttered.

\------------------------------------------

Thanks to Pidge, Lance got a job interview the next morning with Pidge guiding him through the coffee shop. Pidge's brother, Matthew, was not around and so it was Pidge who would interview him. The coffee shop was a family business and Pidge would help out on busy days and if they didn't have band practice.

When Lance entered the coffee shop, he decided to take a look around. The coffee shop had a nice atmosphere— pictures of constellations, NASA photographs and everything related to astronomy were giving it a unique flair. The furniture was vintage themed; the radio was playing  _ Carry On My Wayward Son _ by  _ Kansas _ . Lance knew this song but didn't like it much. But if he wanted a job, he had to deal with the music taste of the owners.

"So, you're Keith's fuckboy Hunk has told me about." A voice shifted before Lance turned around with a frown upon his features.

"Fuckboy..." he muttered, "You must be Pidge."

"I  _ am _ Pidge. Yes, that's me. Nice to meet you, fuckboy." they said with a grin.

"Are you a boy or a girl?" Lance inquired, tilting his head.

"Who the fuck cares about gender..." Pidge rolled their eyes, "no, seriously— what's your  _ real _ name?"

"Lance," the brunette replied, "and I am  _ not _ Keith's fuckboy. I just live at his place for a limited time."

"How limited?" They inquired.

"What?" Lance tilted his head in confusion.

"From what I've heard you've been crashing at Keith's place for... what now...? A week?"

"Yeah, my sister is not picking up her phone because she's working overseas."

"Wow, what's your sister doing?"

"She's a model." Lance replied.

"She must be popular..." Pidge commented before making their way behind the counter, "Now, get your ass behind the counter. Matt's not here so it's my turn to show you around. You'll be working for a few hours and I'll be watching you."

"You're the boss." Lance said with a smile, following Pidge behind the counter.

"I'll tell you when your shift is over. I'll talk to Matt about your day here and we'll give you a ring to let you know if you got the job."

"Alright."

"Now follow me— you'll get an apron and can start your work!" They said to Lance with a grin. 

"Apron... what's my job anyway?"

"Being a barista. Y'know, serving some coffee," Pidge replied, quirking a brow. "Don't tell me Keith didn't tell you, fuckboy."

"It's  _ Lance, _ " he spat, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "He told me it's a coffee shop. But I thought you'd put me in a kitchen or something."

"We don't have a  _ kitchen _ , this is a  _ coffee shop. _ "

"Yeah, but coffee shops have kitchens too?" Lance quirked his brows.

"We don't have one because we don't sell food aside from sandwiches, and they're served here on the counter. Now go put that fucking apron on or else I kick you out BEFORE you get the chance to show me your abilities."

Now it was Pidge who was losing their patience with the candidate. Pidge actually had a lot of patience stocked, but Lance was definitely the kind of guy who thought he'd be right every time. Lance was heading to the back room where he could find a piece of dark blue colored clothing hanging on the wall. That should be the apron. He grabbed it and wrapped it around his waist.  _ Ugh _ . As much as he liked it, aprons were not his thing. But he needed this job, so he had to put more effort into it. Not only for Keith but also for himself. Once he was done, he left the back room just to appear in the shop again, seeing Pidge standing behind the counter waiting for him.

"Good," Pidge started, "I'll show you how the stuff works here. We don't sell sandwiches until noon, so I won't bother you with that for now. The shop will usually open in, like, thirty minutes from now on. I asked Keith to make you come earlier to show you how shit works. Like the coffee machine ‘n shit. We have a dishwasher, but lots of people just come here to get a coffee to go. You will find the cups on the counter. You may find everything you need if you use your eyes. We have dairy free milk, soy milk and normal milk. All of it in the fridge. Mind the labeled dates and don't serve coffee with milk that's over two days old. Ask me to get you milk if you’re busy." Pidge tapped their index finger on their chin, thinking of something they might’ve missed.

"Now, let me show you how the coffee machine works. We call the coffee machine _ Rover _ . If you kill Rover then say bye bye to two paychecks."

"You gave a coffee machine a name?" Lance furrowed his brows.

"The model is called  _ Rover _ , dumbass."

"Okay, okay...", Lance heaved a sigh. Out of the bosses he used to have before, Pidge was the less agreeable one. They seemed to lose their shit about everything and thus would make it hard for Lance to cooperate with them. Oh, he hoped so much that Matt wouldn't be as bad as their sibling.

"Do you know how Rover works?" Pidge asked and clicked their tongue when Lance shook his head.

"Now, listen to me, I'm gonna show you how to make coffee with this baby here. Take notes, either mentally or use your notepad or something. I don't need someone asking me the same thing over and over again. Capiche?"

"Capiche..." Lance muttered with a frown and opened one of the the drawers for a notepad.

"Second drawer." Pidge said, watching him.

"Ah, thanks!" Lance grabbed the notepad along with a pen and stood next to Pidge, waiting for them to turn on the coffee machine.

"Okay. First off, it's important that you turn on Rover right after you enter the coffee shop. Once you get the job, you'll get the key of the shop and you'll have to make sure to be here at least thirty minutes before the shop usually opens. Press this button."

Pidge pointed at a black button that had the usual power symbol on it. After a good push, the coffee machine started making noises.

"Once you hear these noises, it's green light. The coffee machine is now warming up, using water to clean itself. Make sure you have enough water in there so it will actually clean. The red light here..." they pointed at a glimmering light going on and off, "shows that there's not enough water. You have to fill it up then." Pidge then grabbed a container that was attached next to the machine. It had, like, little to no water in it. "See? Little water," they carried the container to the sink and removed the lid before they filled it with water. "Watch the line in the container. Not too much and not too little. Once it’s filled, reattach it to the machine." Pidge turned around to reattach the container. The red light turned switched to green, leaving them with a smile. "Now watch. Once the light is green, it says water is full and the machine is now ready to clean itself."

Lance watched the entire process; taking simple notes from it so he'd get it memorized. It took two minutes for the machine to spit out the water Pidge had filled in the container. "Okay, now fill up the container again. We won't make shit if the container's only  _ half full _ ."

"You mean half empty." Lance commented with a snort.

"Listen, dumbass. Don't play with me. I said  _ fill up. _ " they scoffed.

"Yeah yeah.. sorry...", Lance muttered and removed the container just to refill and reattach it to the coffee machine again. "Done."

"Good!" Pidge said with a smirk, patting the taller's shoulder. "Now, look..." Pidge removed another container— it was meant to place the mugs but once they removed the grid, it was full of dirty water. "See that junk here? Comes from cleaning the machine. We just empty it in the sink and clean it up before we attach it again."

Lance nodded and was still watching Pidge cleaning the little container. It was not too hard understanding how to use the machine— he actually thought it would be way more complicated.

Once they cleaned up the container and the grid, they reattached both of them again, then removed another container. The container was filled with remains of milled coffee and it even smelled like it. 

"My favorite part..." Pidge muttered and opened a cupboard door so they could throw away the remains, then turned to the sink and cleaned it up by filling it with water and dumping it out. "That's the remains of the coffee. It's important that you empty it, like... twice a day," they said and reattached it to the machine again. "Okay, almost done. Now to the most important part: The coffee."

There was another container Pidge grabbed; it was halfway filled with coffee beans. "We have, like, three boxes full of coffee stocked in our pantry," they explained as they bent down to open another cupboard door and grabbed an used pack of coffee beans. "We usually have two of these in our cupboard. I would recommend that, if you have some time, to go grab a pack from the pantry and put in the cupboard." 

Pidge removed the elastic band and emptied the pack by filling in the rest of the beans. "Actually..." they said, "go get another pack of coffee beans."

"I don't know where the pantry is." Lance confessed.

"Lance, do you fucking have eyes?" Pidge questioned, "once you enter the back room, there's one fucking door labeled  _ Pantry _ . You can't fucking miss it."

"Aye, miss! I mean sir, I mean—" with a groan, Lance headed to the break room and opened the door of the pantry room. It took Lance a while to find the light switch and once he found it and turned the lights on, he sees that the pantry room was filled with a lot of stuff. Milk, boxes... — it was a perfect pantry room for a little coffee shop. 

_ Right... the coffee _ , Lance thought and found the open box with the coffee in it. He grabbed a pack and turned off the light switch then closed the door. Leaving the back room, he saw Pidge waiting already for him.

"Thanks." Pidge said and grabbed the pack just to put it in the cupboard.

"Okay, now come here," Pidge ordered, Lance moving next to them, "you see this display?" they asked.

There was a small display showing the word 'READY', which probably meant that the machine was ready to be used. "The machine is now ready. BUT! Listen to me. We're not only selling shit like boring coffee. Nuh-uh! What we're selling are different types of coffee! Like Cappuccino, Latte Macchiato... you know... stuff we need milk for!"

Pidge could explain more to Lance but then the door of the shop opened. Pidge took a look from the counter just to check who it was. 

"Shiro!" They grinned.

Shiro was a tall guy; taller than Hunk, Lance, Keith and — obviously — Pidge. His hair was styled in an undercut, with platinum blonde bangs. He was wearing a black trench coat and a dark grey loop scarf that was wrapped around his neck.

"Good morning, Pidge!" he said with a smile, "Sorry, I know you're not open yet but I saw the lights were on so I decided to come in."

"That's fine, Shiro!" Pidge said with a grin, "I've got the task to train Keith's fuckboy. Kid needs a job, so—"

"My name is Lance..." Lance interrupted Pidge with a mutter, trying to figure out how to heat up the milk.

"Pidge..." Shiro snorted, "it’s really nice that you are offering him a job."

"Well, he needs to show me what he’s got. He doesn't even know how to use Rover." Pidge commented with a shrug.

"I think he won't do that bad." Shiro commented and approached Lance, who was still thinking of a way of how to heat up the milk.

"Nice to meet you, Lance. I'm Shirogane Takashi. But you can call me Shiro."

Lance looked at the guy and gulped. He was  _ really _ tall— Lance could run away right now, wouldn't it be that gentle face Shiro had.

"Uh... nice to meet you too..." He muttered and shook Shiro's hand which he stretched out.

"Doing good?" The taller asked when he withdrew his hand.

"Well... I don't know... how to heat up the milk..." He whispered.

"That's okay. You see that tube here?" Shiro pointed at a tube that was on the left side of the machine. "Grab that silver cup and look if it's clean. Then grab some milk and fill the cup with it. You know... you can make me a Latte. How does that sound?" Shiro inquired as he handed Lance the silver cup.

"Uhm... to go...? Or here?" Lance asked carefully, squinting at Pidge who was watching both of them from the end of the counter.

"To go, please. I don't have much time to drink it here." Shiro replied.

"O-okay..." Lance said with a nod and looked around to find the paper cups.

"Behind you," Shiro said and lifted his hand to grab a cup from the stack just to hand it to Lance. "don't be nervous. It's your first time working at a coffee shop, right?"

Lance nodded. Shiro was awfully nice despite his appearance, yet he didn't even know anything about him. From the time he was at Keith's place, he'd never seen the guy before.

"That's okay. Just be yourself. Don't act strange. Pidge might be rude sometimes but they don't mean it they way you think they do. It's how they express themself, so don't think that they hate you."

"I can hear you, Shiro..." Pidge commented with a frown.

"I am just trying to calm him down. Don't be so harsh to the newbie, Pidge," Shiro stated and turned back to Lance. "Okay, now listen. Grab the milk and fill the cup with it." Shiro pointed at the fridge.

Lance opened it and grabbed an opened milk box.

"You can use the milk, Lance," Pidge commented, "it's from last night."

With a nod, Lance filled the silver cup with milk, then looked back to Shiro who watched him with a soft smile.

"Good. Now you hold the cup over the tube. Can you see the switch next to the tube? Twist it."

Lance followed Shiro's steps and he could see how the milk was foaming up. Luckily, the cup had a handle so he wouldn't burn his palms with the hot milk. It took a while until the milk was done before put it in the paper cup.

"You're doing so well, Lance," Shiro commented, "Okay, next step. Grab another silver cup and place it under the faucet. You can choose the options on the display by using the buttons." 

Lance pressed a few buttons until he heard a "Stop" from Shiro. The display was now showing 'ESPRESSO'. 

"You're making a Latte with more milk and little espresso. Now press the big button right next to the display."

Lance pressed the button just as Shiro told him to. The machine made a loud noise, meaning that it was grinding the coffee. After two minutes, the silver cup was filled with a black liquid that smelled agreeably strong.

"Good. Now add the coffee to the paper cup and make sure you don't spill it."

"Alright." Lance muttered, filling the hot liquid in the paper cup until it was full.

"Good." Shiro said with a smile.

"Do you want it sweetened?" Lance asked.

"No, thank you," Shiro replied and gently patted Lance's back. "You did a good job. I bet it tastes as good as you just prepared it."

Lance's cheeks showed a slight red shade. Shiro was so nice and gentle, and even though he was only a customer, he helped Lance preparing a Latte. Lance was so relieved right now. He then grabbed a lid and put it over the cup, making sure it was fixed. 

"Careful... it's hot..." Lance said and handed the cup to Shiro.

"Okay uh... that's... two dollars for you?" Lance asked and headed to the register.

"On the house, Lance. Also, you don't know how to use the register so don't touch it." Pidge interfered.

"On the house... right." Lance muttered.

"Pidge, don't go so hard on the boy."

"No promises, Shiro." Pidge replied with a shrug, letting the man leave the counter.

"Thanks for the coffee, Lance. Just remember: Be yourself and show that you can be a good barista."

"Thanks, Shiro!" Lance said with a smile on his face.

"See? That's what was missing. Smile more, especially if you serve some coffee. It shows that you like your job." Shiro waved at both of them and left the coffee shop. 

Awkward silence was in the air and Lance grabbed both silver cups to clean them.

"Good one..." Pidge commented, approaching Lance. "Now you know how to make a Latte, thanks to Shiro."

"I should thank him one day." Lance commented. 

"You know... every Paladin used to work here. And it was mostly because of college," Pidge shrugged, "that's how we met— sort of..." Pidge said with a chuckle. 

"I see..." Lance smiled, drying the silver cups with a towel. 

"Shiro's the one who's holding us together, you know. He's the oldest out of the band people," heaving a sigh, they headed to the register and turned it on. "Let me show you how to use the register, Lance. We're opening in a few minutes."

With a nod, Lance approached Pidge and stood next to them, letting them show him how to use the register. Pidge opened a small drawer and picked up a little blue colored chip.

"That's your chip. You need this to log on on the register. You see that keyhole here?" Pidge said, pointing at a small hole on the register. "Just put it in there. Like this."

Pidge put the chip in the hole and turned it around, the register screen showing up. 

"Okay..." they muttered, "now... it says 'Allura'... but the chip hasn't been used since Allura left. I'm gonna change this later or so," Pidge said and tapped on the screen. "Okay, logged on."

Lance followed their steps with his eyes. 

"Now, you see the various types of the menu. The coffee, soft drinks... you take an order by selecting one of these. Then you go to 'checkout' and the full price will be displayed. Got it?!"

"Yeah." Lance stated.

"Good. If you need help feel free to ask me."

"Okay."

"You take the order first before you make it, by the way."

"I— oh." 

Lance just realized that he did it wrong when he was working on Shiro's order, Pidge snorted and patted their shoulder.

"It's fine. It's Shiro and he knew that you are the newbie here." Pidge said.

"Alright," Lance said with a smile, "Thanks, Pidge."

"Welcome."

\--------------------------------------------------------

Lance had been working for four hours now. It was not as hard as expected, considering that there were mostly customers that wanted to have something to go rather than staying in the shop. It was mostly because some people were busy and they didn’t have the time to stay in a warm place and chill— that's what Pidge said. It was really relaxing, the music was really enjoyable.  _ Lone Digger _ by  _ Caravan Palace _ was playing and both Lance and Pidge could admit that it was a nice song. The first customers for the noon sandwiches were appearing, and Pidge was nice enough to help Lance by making the sandwiches while Lance was taking the orders. Pidge was also nice enough and let Lance take a break for thirty minutes and offered him a sandwich they had been preparing for him. They had been quiet and stopped using any insults towards Lance. Sometimes they would call him a  _ sloth _ if he was a little too slow with simple things, but he tried to become faster to satisfy his quasi-boss.

"You're doing a good job, fuckboy." Pidge commented.

"Lance..." He corrected them with a sigh.

"I know what your name is— I just love how you react to it." Pidge said with a smirk.

"I don't think it's funny, though."

"Okay, sorry," they said, "you know. I can really see you working here. You are not only satisfying the customers but also me."

"Oh, really?" Lance looked at them while he was cleaning the silver cups he had used for a previous Latte order.

"You see, both Matt and I really need someone to take care of the shop. I can't work everyday here because band business and college."

"Oh right! You are a Paladin!" Lance just remembered.

"Yeah, Mister Obvious. I'm their keyboard slave." they said with a grin.

"Alright... and college?" Lance inquired.

"Astronomy," they replied, "both Matt and I love everything about the stars, galaxies, planets. That's why this coffee shop is named after a Pluto moon."

"That's really cool..." Lance commented. "I'm an art student."

"Drawing?"

"Yeah. Majoring in modern art and minoring in photography."

Pidge raised their brows and nodded. "Nice one. So uh... I'll be in the back room. Call me if you need something."

"Okay."

Pidge then headed to the back room when the door opened and someone who looked a lot like Pidge, just a little taller, entered the coffee shop. The man walked around and spotted Lance standing on the counter, then grinned at him.

"No wonder the sky is grey all day, the blue's all in your eyes!"

"What?" Lance looked at the person and widened his eyes. "Pidge, did you get a growth spurt? Also what's with your voice?"

"Aw, you're comparing me to my little baby sibling? That's adorable. Just as adorable as you, though."

_ Oh goodness. _ Was that... was that Matt? The actual owner of the shop? 

"I'm Lance and I'm—"

"The most beautiful person I've ever seen." Matt said with a wink. 

And Lance thought he was bad with pickup lines— this guy was the goddamn cherry on the top of the cake. He was openly flirting with his co-worker. Was that even allowed? Lance blushed a little and looked away from him.  _ Oh gosh, that was awkward _ .

The door to the back room opened and Pidge spotted Matt who turned around to face his sibling.

"If this isn't my baby sibling," Matt said with a grin. "You've got a good taste when it comes to newbies."

"Matt..." Pidge huffed, "that's Lance. He's Keith's roommate."

"Only roommate?"

"Yeah, but for a limited time." Lance replied.

"Aw... you know, you could crash at my place anytime. My bed's big enough for two."

"No, Matt..." Pidge said. "Be nice to the newbie. He might be working here in the future."

"Well, I say  _ yes _ !" Matt said with a grin, winking at Lance.

"I'm positive too," Pidge stated, "He's been fun to work with. He's still a little green, but I think he'd do a good job."

Lance blinked a little, watching the siblings. Did he really just get a job? It was like  _ heaven _ to him. 

"W-wait... really?" He inquired both Pidge and Matt.

"Only if you want the job, that is."

"I— of course!?"

What question was that? Sure, it was also his decision if he wanted the job and since he needed one, this was the ultimate chance. This job could save his life (or at least his current situation for a bit). Matt wrapped an arm around Lance, pulling him closer. 

"Welcome to team Kerberos, babe~!"

"Uhm..." Lance gently pushed him away with a sheepish smile. "Thanks, guys. You really just saved my life."

"Nah, we are just giving you something you need," Pidge said with a smile, "You're doing well, you helped me a lot during the day. You're still a newbie, but we can work on these little flaws anyway." They stretched out their hand.

"Thanks... Really." Lance smiled back, shaking Pidge's hand.

"You can leave, by the way; now that Matt's here, there's no need for you."

"But I NEED him!" Matt insisted, "I want to get to know him better!"

"Matt, stop flirting with the staff... you don't want Lance to sue you for attempted sexual assault, do you?"

"Ah, true, true..." Matt swallowed, "Sorry, couldn't help it. But, yeah, you're... really cute."

"T-thanks, I guess...", Lance replied with a sheepish smile and took off the apron just to hand it to Pidge.

He could have flirted back, but for some reason Lance was not really into it. And usually, Lance had a very flirtatious attitude, but due to all the trouble and his current situation, it was hard for him to drop one pickup line or two. And Matt? Matt was not really his type anyway. Lance was picky and he wouldn't flirt with someone who he didn’t have the hots for. First of all, his mood had to become better. Besides, Lance didn't know Matt at all and... wasn't he like... Shiro's age? Maybe even older? He was Pidge's elder brother after all.

\--------------------------------------------------------

Keith wasn't home yet when Lance arrived at the apartment. Maybe he still had practice or maybe even another job. Lance didn't know much about Keith and it was a little disappointing. Pop Tart was resting on the couch but ran to Lance right after he opened the door. 

"Aw, seems like you missed me, right?" he said with a grin and pet her. "You're hungry, aren't you? Let me give you some food then."

Lance took off his jacket and placed it on the chair that was standing in the hallway before he went to the kitchen and grabbed a can of cat food. He then filled Pop Tart's dish who started eating the second after Lance emptied the can. 

But then, he heard a phone ringing. Keith's phone? He remembered that Keith would leave his phone there if Lance wanted to call his sister once he'd arrive at home. A quick look into the display made Lance's heart drop. 

_ Zoe.  _

_ Zoe's number. _

_ She was calling him back. _

Lance was nervous and decided to pick up the call, answering with a 'H-hello...?"

"Lance?" A voice was heard from the other side of the line. "Lance, is that... you?"

"Zoe!?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title inspired by [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbsBEb1ZxWA), by the way! Once the fic is done, I might do a fanmix with the songs mentioned/featured in this fic!


	4. Casual Affair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance's sister finally calls him but things don't turn out as expected. Lance accidentally confesses that he's a virgin, Keith doesn't know the real meaning of 'Netflix and chill' and a trip at the swimming hall is about to change everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me a while with this chapter. I was busy n stuff. So there we go.

"Lance? Is that you?"

_ Zoe's voice. _

Just for this one second, Lance was happy to finally hear her voice. It had been a whole since he was able to hear her it, and tears were gathering in his eyes. He was so happy, and Zoe was his only hope.

"Zoe... Yes... Yes, it's me... your brother... your... homeless brother..." Lance's lips were trembling; he was nervous— nervous to tell her about everything. About his parents kicking him out. About Keith, a stranger who'd offered Lance to stay at his place.

"Wait... homeless!?" her voice echoed through the phone, making Lance keep some distance from it.

"Remember when you once told me to keep my secret about my sexuality? I think it was the wrong timing and—"

"Mom and Dad kicked you out!?" Zoe interrupted and Lance could hear her groaning, followed by several Spanish curses.

"Knowing them, it would be impossible to talk about it. They're stubborn..." she said after a minute of insults and curses. God, Lance, I'm so sorry..."

"It's fine..." he whispered, his voice being hoarse. "But... a friend let me live at his place until I was be able to contact you and—"

"Lance..." Zoe interrupted again, heaving a sigh. "Listen, I accept you being gay, and coming out to Mom and Dad was really really brave of you. But... I don't think that it would be a good idea if you came to my place. I love you, you're my favorite baby brother... but I got a boyfriend and he's moving to my place the upcoming week.”

_ Yikes. _

His only hope —Zoe, his sister— was not able to help him. What now? What would Keith say? Should he lie? No, bad idea. He couldn't lie to Keith. Not after what he did for Lance after all.

"Lance...?" Zoe asked after a minute of (awkward) silence.

"Yeah... I'm... I'm still here...." Lance whispered. His voice was trembling, he'd constantly nibble on his bottom lip until it would draw blood.

"I'm really, really sorry... I wish I could help you but that's impossible..." Zoe said before heaving another sigh. "How are you? You're not working at the garage anymore, are you?" she asked.

"No... one of... Keith's friends got me a job at their coffee shop, though..." Lance replied.

"Keith? Is that... your friend you're currently crashing at?"

"Yeah, he's... he, uh... picked up the phone when I was trying to call you but... I messed up with the number and... ran into him."

"I see..." Zoe replied, "Is he treating my baby brother well, though?" she inquired.

"Yeah, he does... don't... don't worry about me."

"But I am!" she protested, "I feel bad I can't help my baby brother! I'm the worst big sister ever!"

"Listen I...can try talking to Keith and ask him if I could stay longer at his place, okay?"

"Okay... are you still... attending college?"

"Yeah, of course!" Lance replied, "can't drop out, won't drop out! College is fun!"

"If you say so..." Zoe muttered. "Still, if you need help, money, anything... I can try to help you. 

Is that your phone you're calling from?"

"No, it's Keith..." Lance said, "he, uh... let it here so I could try to reach you and... seems like it worked..."

"You can have my old phone." she said.

"No, Zoe, please—"

"Hey, if I'm not able to let you live at my place, let me at least give you my old phone!"

Lance knew he couldn't win against his own sister. Heaving a sigh, he muttered a "Fine..."

"Where do you work at?" she asked, "I could give it to you when you're working; considering it's not too far away."

"You know the place called  _ Kerberos _ ?"

"Oh! Oh!! Yes, of course! A dude named Matt is running it, right?" she inquired with a grin.

"Yeah! You know Matt?"

_ What a coincidence. _

"He was the one who introduced me to my current boss. He's really nice—"

"And gay." Lance interrupted with a chuckle.

"Oh, don't tell me he's still doing these silly pickup lines..."

" _ 'No surprise the sky is grey day today, all the blue's in your eyes' _ — was the first thing he said to me."

Lance could hear Zoe distancing from the phone laughing. It was really a coincidence and he was so relieved for some reason.

"That's really smooth and yet so  _ Matt _ ..." she said after a minute. "Okay, listen. I have to hang up now. I might pop up anytime at the coffee shop so make sure you'll be there, okay? I want to see Matt too, okay? Love you, brother!"

"Love you too, sister."

_ Doot. Doot. _

…

Lance placed the phone back on the table and sat down on the couch, leaning against it. His hope seemed lost for the first second, yet he was happy that his sister was trying to help him. Things didn't turn out as expected and— oh boy. How'd he tell Keith? How'd Keith react to this?

It was like Pop Tart knew that Lance was frustrated. The cat nuzzled against the brunette's leg, making him smile a little.

"Man, if your master is going to kick me out, I'm gonna miss you the most..." he muttered, scratching behind Pop Tart's ear. 

Lance heaved a sigh and kept petting the cat, displaying a frown upon his features. He got a job, that was something that made him somewhat happy. But with his sister not being able to let him live at her place— it really hit him hard.

\--------------------------------------------

"Lance?"

Keith's voice suddenly came up before Lance opened his eyes. Did he pass out? Well, the day was really stressful for the male, so it would be pretty obvious that he would pass out. Working like that was pretty unusual for him.

"Hey Keith..." Lance muttered when he saw the other guy standing in front of him.

"You okay?" Keith asked with a frown.

_ Shit _ . Should he tell him?

"Well..." Lance muttered and looked away, nibbling his bottom lip, "I uh... called my sister and—"

"Let me guess... she can't keep you?" Keith interrupted.

Lance didn't say anything but just nodded.

There was a moment of silence before Keith heaved a sigh and began speaking.

"Look. Even if your sister is not able to keep you, you can stay here until you get a flat yourself."

Keith was a blessing. He was an angel— someone Lance really needed in his life. Keith was so kind and yet he didn't know him well. Maybe he would get to know Keith better, now that he knew he would stay a little longer at his place. It made him feel unsafe though, for some reason.

"How did your day at Kerberos go?"

"Got the job..." Lance said with a slight grin.

"See, that's good news. I'm proud of you, Lance. I really am."

"Thanks?" Lance replied.

"Welcome. I'll go take a shower now. I can order us pizza after that and we can Netflix and chill."

"What!?" Lance's face suddenly turned red like a firetruck.

"Watch some... Netflix..." Keith said with a frown.

"Oh god..." Lance muttered, "I thought you would— nevermind."

"Huh?" Now Keith was really confused.

"Keith... Netflix and chill means... have sex... how do you... not know this...?"

"What the—" now it was Keith's face that was blushing.

"Oh my fucking god, Keith... you didn't know what that meant!?"

"I— no!? I always thought that it meant 'watch Netflix'..."

"Fuck, Keith,  _ NO _ ! Don't you dare steal my virginity like that, pretty boy!"

…

_ Silence _ .

Keith then started laughing, Lance's face just turned redder, his ears turning red as well.

"Lance McClain is a virgin...", Keith said between his chuckles.

"Keith, shut up!" Lance scoffed with a groan. "Really, that's not funny!"

"Is this the reason your parents kicked you out?" Keith inquired jokingly.

"I—"

True. Lance never really mentioned why he was kicked out. Keith knew that his parents kicked him out but not the reason.

Silence occurred while both were staring at each other.

"I... I came out to my parents," Lance suddenly confessed, "That's why they kicked me out. Not because I'm still a virgin."

"Close enough, though." Keith muttered.

"Keith, that's not really funny." Lance said, rolling his eyes.

"Sorry," Keith muttered and ruffled the other's hair, "I shouldn't... have done this, okay?"

"It's okay, I blurted out that I was a virgin anyway, so I’m guilty too."

"And  _ pretty boy _ ? The first person who called me like that was Matt." Keith said with a snort.

"Matt had the hots for you?"

"He has the hots for everyone, Lance," Keith stated, "he flirts with every youthful guy."

"Wow, how many guys tried to sue him for sexual assault?"

"Beats me. But that's Matt, you know? He's 26, gay and still a virgin. Just like you." Keith said with a grin.

"Okay, Keith, please. Can we stop?" Lance asked with a frown, "also, you wanted to go to shower and order pizza. I'm hungry."

"You can go order the pizza and I go take a shower. You think you can handle this?"

"Keith, I can handle everything." Lance said with a grin.

"Of course you can..." the black haired muttered and headed to the bathroom, closing and locking the door.

\-----------------------------------

Keith finished the shower just when the pizza guy was ringing on the door. Perfect timing.

"Keith, I need money!" Lance shouted after he heard the doorbell and Keith opened the bathroom door a few inches, stretched his arm out, handing Lance two ten dollar bills. 

"You can tip him." Keith said and closed the door again right after Lance grabbed the bills. 

Lance wanted to ask where Keith did get the money from the bathroom— maybe Keith had his wallet in the jeans he had been wearing before he had taken the shower.

Lance grabbed the two pizza boxes in exchange for the money. The pizza guy thanked for the tip and Lance closed the door, then headed to the living room and placed the boxes on the table. Keith must had left the bathroom by now and was getting dressed. Lance then went to the kitchen and looked for a pizza cutter. These tools were very handy and he was a little sad he didn't use to have this back home. 

_ Home _ .

Keith was now Lance's home. It sounded strange at first yet it was hard to realize that some stranger would be considered  home for Lance. The place he used to spend his entire life with, along with the majority of people, it was not really home anymore. Keith was a blessing, he was kind enough to keep Lance until he would able to get a flat for himself. Lance wouldn't know what would have become without Keith— he'd probably end up somewhere in the streets. 

"The smell of Tonio's Pizza..." Keith said when he left the bedroom and sat down on the couch. 

Lance didn't realize for a minute that Keith was back, since he was lost in thoughts. The fact that Keith was somewhat like an angel for him didn't leave him. Lance was just so grateful for the guy, and yet he didn't really know a thing about Keith. He knew about his ethnicity, his age, his birthday and other things... but not his past. Was it Keith who didn't want to tell a thing? He remembered when Keith once told him 'My past is not really interesting despite being an orphan, really' but there must be something.

"Lance, you don't need a pizza cutter. Tonio always cuts them before delivering." Keith shouted from the living room, grabbing one pizza box and opening it.

"Oh, what? Sorry" Lance left the kitchen and headed to the couch, sitting down next to Keith. "I forgot about that."

Lance grabbed the other box and placed it on his lap. "Anything you want to watch, by the way?" Lance inquired the other who grabbed the remote and turned on the television.

"I'm fine with anything." Keith replied with a shrug, then grabbed the PS3 controller and pressed the PS3 Home-Button to turn it on.

"Well," Lance started, "I'm not really into horror movies so could we avoid those, please?"

Keith grinned but nodded. "Yeah, of course."

\-----------------------------------

"What do you think?" Keith suddenly inquired when the movie credits rolled. 

"What?"

"Do you think he's still caught in a dream?"

"Oh— !"

Lance realized that they were talking about the movie. They were watching  _ Inception _ together, a movie that had been sitting on Keith's watch list for a while. 

"Well the gyroscope was spinning but was losing it's balance so... I think he's not dreaming anymore."

"Hm..." Keith muttered, "interesting... I think that he still is caught in a dream."

"Yeah but..." Lance looked at Keith with a frown. "Didn’t you see it? He woke up in the plane, along with the others!"

"Still, doesn't mean he's awake." 

"Okay, let's change topics." Lance proposed with a frown. 

"Good idea, I wanted to ask you something."

"Huh?"

"Are you free tomorrow? Because Hunk, Shiro, and I wanted to take you along to the swimming hall."

Lance blinked. Swimming hall? It sounded like a good idea, though. He missed swimming a lot since his family didn’t  visit the Varadero Beach last summer vacation. They usually had spent all their summer vacations there, along with Lance's grandparents and cousins. 

"I wouldn't mind at all but I don't know if Pidge or Matt are okay with that."

"Considering Pidge wouldn't want to come along, they'd take over your shift so you might be free tomorrow."

"Well, that's cool then!" Lance grinned, "I'm a swimming pro, so be prepared!"

"Do you swim a lot?"

"I was born in Varadero and that place has a lot of beaches, so I swam pretty much everyday until we moved to Detroit. We visited Varadero every summer since then, though."

"Sounds pretty neat." Keith commented with a hum.

"I wanna visit Varadero one day again..." Lance said with a sigh, "I miss my cousins and my grandmother. My grandmother makes the best garlic bread in the entire universe."

Keith just nodded with a smile. He couldn't tell much about his own family. He changed his foster families a lot, mostly because of his rebellious attitude and the lack of discipline... — and other things…

"You're from South Korea, right? Were you there?" Lance suddenly asked.

"Yeah, but I was brought to the States when I was, like, four years old. I don't remember much about it." Keith replied and got up. "I'm... going to sleep now. Tomorrow's the only free day and the contest is already next Saturday. You won't see me a lot until then."

True. The contest. Lance remembered how Keith was talking about it a lot all week. It seemed like it meant a lot to Keith, winning this thing. 

"I'll be going to college and working anyway, so it's fine." Lance said with a shrug.

"Good. You... would come to the contest too, right?"

"Of course!" Lance exclaimed, "I've never seen you playing live! Or, well, playing in general."

"That means a lot, Lance. Thanks." Keith said with a smile.

"I'm sure you're gonna win this!"

\-----------------------------------

Lance remembered the swimming hall. He used to visit it a lot during winter days right the first years after his parents left Varadero. But with Junior High, High School and even college kicking in, he'd stopped visiting it. In his High School days, he had found his passion for Baseball and started playing in their High School team.  _ The Lions _ was their name, and Lance was one of the best pitchers during that time. 

Both Keith and Lance had packed their swimming stuff before they'd left the apartment. Lance knew he still had his swimming trunks and he was happy about it. He wouldn't have had the money to buy new ones, even though Keith would have insisted. He didn't want Keith giving out money for him, even though the other insisted to treat him at least a bottle of soda if he wanted one. Hunk and Shiro had been waiting for them in front of the building. They didn't live that far away from the swimming hall after all.

Keith had been smoking a cigarette on his way to the swimming hall. Lance didn't like smokers at all so he tried to keep his distance. Keith knew about Lance's disgust for cigarettes and understood it; trying to stop smoking was a hard task for Keith, though. 

"I heard that they renovated the whole thing," Lance said, "new water slide, right?"

"When was the last time you visited this place, Kiddo?" Hunk inquired.

"Man, that must have been... five years ago? I know I went here before I went to High School and then I stopped visiting this place..." Lance replied, "Why?"

"It's been three years," Shiro stated, "it got a new water slide, the bistro has been renovated and the child pool is safer."

"Oh— !" Lance exclaimed with a nod and followed the three guys.

"Shit, I don't have money..." Lance muttered and Keith looked at him with a smile. 

"My treat."

"Keith,  _ no! _ " Lance exclaimed, "Stop treating me!"

"Actually..." Shiro began, "It's  _ our _ treat, Lance.  _ We _ are inviting  _ you _ ."

"Guys, please..." Lance said with a frown, "You don't have to."

"You don't have money anyway, so what's the problem?" Hunk stated with a shrug.

Hunk was right. Lance just didn't like getting treated.

"I'll pay you back one day, okay?"

"Nah," Hunk insisted, "it's fine, man."

Lance knew he couldn't fight back so he really had to let them pay for his ticket, much to his dismay.

\-----------------------------------

The swimming hall really looked a little different. The child pool looked child friendlier and the water slide was really different from the one Lance used to know. It was  _ better _ and he went to the slide multiple times, sometimes tugging Keith along. Hunk was joining Lance with the water slide and Shiro had been distancing himself and was mostly seen in the Whirlpool. For some reason Shiro and Keith had been distancing themselves since they entered the swim hall. Lance knew it wasn’t his business so he didn't ask around. 

Keith then left the pool and turned to Lance. "Do you want a soda? I need a break right now. Hunk?" Keith looked at Hunk who just had left the pool as well.

"Nah, I gotta go try the water slide a little more," Hunk replied and headed back to the staircase.

"Uh, sure." Lance said. 

The whole swimming had made him tired. Of course he had been swimming several rounds in the big pool and it seemed like he had impressed some girls. Since Lance was not really disgusted by the female crowd, he sometimes flirted back, showing finger guns at them. Keith had been laughing at him and saying that finger guns were actually a thing bisexuals would do. 

"You really impressed me by the way, Lance," Keith commented, "You  _ are _ a pro swimmer. I haven't seen someone swimming like that before."

"Told you so!" Lance exclaimed with a wink, "I wanna go to the beach one day. Varadero or Miami..."

"Once we win the contest, the band is going to plan a road trip to Miami Beach, you could—"

"Keith, if you say 'Join us' then I will decline," Lance interrupted, "It's really cool but... I can't afford anything."

"So what?" Keith said, quirking his brows, "What will  _ you _ do? I wouldn't mind leaving you at home all day but quick reminder that Matt is coming with us and thus closing down the coffee shop in the meantime. And spending your time alone at my place and going to college all day would be boring as well."

Keith had a point but a  _ road trip _ ? Sure, it would be a lot of fun but—

"Also, stop thinking about the expenses and think about the fun, okay? We understand your current situation and we want to make things better for you.  _ We _ are now your family, Lance."

_ Family. _ Oh god, Keith was just making it so hard for Lance. He didn't know what to say so Lance just nodded. It was amazing how kind Keith was and Lance couldn't thank him enough for it.

"Don't make me cry, Keith, tears ruin my face!" Lance commented with a sniff. 

"Then don't cry!" Keith stated with a snort and gently patted the other's back. "Man, I am just telling the truth, okay? Your family is a bunch of... buttholes, and you don't have anyone else but us."

"Keith... I...— thanks. Really..." Lance exhaled and looked down on the floor. He didn't really know what to say anymore. It was just too much and Lance didn't even ask for it.

"You're welcome, Lance," Keith said with a smile, "Now let's get some soda, I'm craving that mineral."

"Soda is a mineral?" Lance inquired with a snort.

"They make it themselves here," Keith stated, "Y'know, swimming at this place is always worth getting some handmade soda."

"Nice, handmade soda is my favorite!" Lance stated, "as a child I used to make my own lemonade and sell it. Didn't work well though." he added with a shrug.

"That's cute," Keith confessed, "trying to work yourself selling that mineral and nobody appreciated it?"

"Nah, the kids on my street were assholes and destroyed my booth when I went to pee."

"Man, that's nasty." Keith commented.

"Yeah, they were happy after I lost a tooth. Whatever, the tooth fairy got me some Pesos under my pillow."

With a snort, Keith hopped onto a barstool and ordered two sodas. Lance did the same and looked around. "Man, I really missed this place..."

Lance didn't live that far away from the swimming hall and yet he LOVED visiting it often. It was just too sad he never really got the opportunity, especially when High School got in the way.

"If you're such a water lover, why did you stop swimming?"

"Uh... High school" Lance replied, "I was playing at the Baseball Team... the Lions. And I was their best pitcher during my High School time."

"No. Fucking. Way," Keith suddenly cried out, "You were that asshole pitcher that stole us the last point!? The one who finger gunned at  _ me _ !?"

"Wait, that was YOU!? You were a Knight!? You were  _ their _ best pitcher!?"

Incredible. They barely knew each other and yet they had been rivals in the past. High School. Both their schools were bearing an eternal rivalry and it was mostly because of their Baseball team and their success.  _ What a damn coincidence _ .

"Looks like I made you fall from your steed,  _ Knight. _ " Lance said with a grin, winking at him.

"Oh shut up, you  _ carnivore. _ " Keith huffed and took a sip from the glass of soda that was just offered to him.

"Hey don't call me like that." Lance whined.

"Can we change the topic?" Keith inquired, "Have you had your first kiss already?"

"Why are you asking me that!?" Lance asked, widening his eyes.

"To change the damn topic, you silly."

"I— uh... no...?" Lance stuttered with a swallow, "why are you asking that?"

"Just asking... that means you're pure as hell, a damn nun."

"Shut up, Keith," Lance snapped with a huff, "did  _ you _ have your first kiss?"

Keith swallowed before he glance at Shiro who just got out of the pool but quickly looked back at Lance with a nod.

"Yeah. I did."

"Nice," Lance commented and took a sip from his soda, releasing a hum. "Damn, it's really good!"

"Told you so."

\-----------------------------------

Their swimming session was over— not because it was time limited but the swimming hall was closing at early hours on winter times. On summer times, and when the outdoor pool was accessible, the swimming hall would be open a little longer. Lance was a little sad but he told to himself that he would go back to the swimming hall as soon as possible, once he'd get his paycheck and pay off the debts for Keith. With a grin, he headed to the showers along with Keith.

The realization that Keith used to be his rival during High School gave Lance some chills. Not because Keith was the best Pitcher of the rival team— Lance literally had finger gunned at that guy and it had been mostly a flirt than a provocation. It was just weird for Lance to feel like that. But Keith had changed, and it really was a coincidence.

Lance and Keith headed to the changing rooms when the lights suddenly went out and both were the only ones on the way to the rooms. Lance couldn't see anything though, but when he turned to look at Keith, he felt something pressing against his own lips, his eyes going wide.

_ Lips. _ They were Keith's lips. Keith was kissing Lance.

_ And it was Lance's first kiss. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title inspired by [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyx0W5UhJGM). Hope you liked the cliffhanger. :)

**Author's Note:**

> ANYWAYS. THIS FIC HAS NOW A FIC TAG ON TUMBLR. Since I'm going to post any updates , update process, headcanons and ideas in the future on my [writing blog](http://cheshyrd.tumblr.com), you can follow/track [voltron-cut/voltron cut](https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/voltron-cut)!


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